Molly
I slowly open my eyes and see my baby girl on my chest. I hold her and begin to rub her head with one hand and pat her bum with the other.
"Ah you're finally awake." I hear a man's voice, I turn around and see a shadow. I don't remember his name and it is dark now, so I can't even see how he looks. "Do you remember me?" He asks and walks towards me.
I can now see him a bit better as he is infront of the fireplace, the orange glow highlights his sharp but unusual features. His crooked nose and his chiseled jaw stand out the most.
I see him holding something and when he sits on a chair that he brought towards the couch I realise its baby Shane. I smile and reach out to touch him, wondering if this is real. His skin soft and warm. "Is this real?" I whisper out.
I look at Selina then at Shane and my heart swells. "Yeah it is."
"Are they healthy?" I ask him when I realize they are early and I didn't carry them to full term.
"Yes. They are a bit underweight but that is normal with twins and them being a bit premature." I nod my head. "Do you want to dress them?"
"Oh yes please." He walks to me and offers me a hand to sit up. The pain rushes through me as I sit up and I bite my cheek to not scream out. He notices this and rubs my arm reassuringly.
"Sore?" I nod my head. "You were in labor for quite some time so it is normal." He takes the seat next to me not too close but not so far that he is in the other side of the couch. "Which baby grow do you want for her?"
He passes the variety of clothes to me. I take them and lay them on my lap. I look at the different colors that I picked. I was able to trade all the fresh produce we had for them. I choose a light yellow baby grow with bunnies for her.
"Oh... I don't have any diapers... I meant to make towel ones so we can reuse them." I say to him a little embarrassed.
"I'll go see if there's any in my cupboard. I know I used to have but I'm not sure if I kept it or not." He looks away from me but I see the pain in his eyes. So I don't pry.
I pull the little baby grow on and wrap her in the blanket again. "Do you want to dress him?" I ask and I see him debating whether or not he should.
He clears his throat. "No. I'll leave it to you. I'm... I'm going to look for the diapers..." he passes me Shane and I frown as he hurries away from me. I place Selina next to me and keep an eye on her while I dress Shane.
I pick a pale green baby grow with sheep on for him. Once I get the baby grow on him, the man, who's name I still don't remember, comes back into the room with two old fashioned material diapers. "Sorry I only have these."
I give him a smile. "No worries, it's perfect for them." I put Shane's on then move on to Selina's. Once they are on I see they both start fussing, I need another pair of hands, that's when I realize David and Shane aren't here. "Where is Shane and David?" I ask with a shaky voice.
"David went back to the house to get a few things, Shane went with because he wasn't sure on how to get back here." My mind races and images of them dead on the ground fill my mind.
"H-how long have they been gone?"
"Mmm about 2 hours now..." he looks at the twins then back to me with a slight blush. "I think they are hungry."
I frown at his words before I click that I need to breastfeed them. 'How am I supposed to feed two at the same time?' I stay quiet as I try to figure out, do I put one on each boob or do I feed one completely and then do the next.
I rub my temple trying to figure it out. "I'd say your best bet is to try one at a time..." he says out of the blue. I look at him puzzled. "The babies... one at a time... especially because you are a first time mom." I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes to me. "My... wi-" he scratches his arm "I mean my ex-wife... she would feed the babies one at a time."
Now my mind is really confused, this guy can't be much older than 28. But he has an ex-wife? And what does he mean by babies? More than one baby at a time? I'm really confused.
"Who do you want to feed first?" I snap back to reality and look at both babies trying to decide who is more hungry. I sigh and shake my head.
"I don't know..." I say quietly.
"Try Shane, he sounds like he is a touch hungrier than Selina." I look at him in amazement, how does he know? "Pass me Selina... I'll take her and let you feed Shane." I pass Selina to him and he walks towards the other side of the room. "I won't look, I promise... I will give you the privacy you need."
I take a few moments before I pull my sweater off my head completely. I look over my shoulder and see him bouncing Selina and speaking softly to her.
Shane starts crying and I immediately cradle him. He must have some good instincts because as soon as his mouth is close enough he latches onto my nipple. It catches me by surprise and I let out a yelp, it is painful. "Give it a few minutes. The pain will subside." I clench my teeth and await the pain to go away.
After a few minutes of Shane sucking furiously, he finds a good rhythm and the pain goes away. Not completely but it is much better than before. I let out a sigh and lay my head back.
After another few minutes Selina starts screaming her lungs out and Shane is drifting off. I am torn. What do I do? Let the guy bring her to me? But I can't cover myself.
"Um... do you mind swapping?"
"Sure. She is hungry now and there's nothing like a hungry newborn." He chuckles and I hear his footsteps coming before they stop suddenly. "Oh. You can't cover up?"
"No." I manage to squeak out.
"Um... well I'll turn my back and pass her to you?" He suggests but I'm scared that one of us drops one of the babies.
"No. Pass her over the couch. I think that's a safer option."
"You sure?"
"Yeah it's okay. It's not like there's another option." I give a sigh and wait for him. He comes slowly to the couch and I turn my head to him. I see the nervousness in his body language.
I reach for Selina and he passes her to me. His eyes flick down to my boobs but he quickly looks away and I see him blushing furiously. I go red from embarrassment as well. I put Selina on my lap and pass Shane to him, he takes Shane but once again as he takes the baby his eyes flick down.
"I'm sorry..." he mumbles before he turns away and walks away from me.
I take a deep breath and bring Selina closer, I don't even have to guide her, she's like her brother. She instantly starts drinking even faster and harder than Shane. I groan and bite my lip waiting for the pain to pass again.
I lean my head back and try to concentrate on the warm fire infront of me. I relax as the pain finally subsides and her sucking becomes a steady motion.
The door swings open and I get such a fright I almost drop Selina. I stare in shock as I see the battered and bruised men walk in. I stare with my mouth open for what seems like ages.
David's eye has swollen shut and it looks like he's been stung by a hundred wasps leaving bumps all over his face. His lips are a dark crimson color and there's dried blood under his nose, his blonde hair is a darker shade, matted with blood and dirt. His face is starting to develop bruises, he holds his side and I see it's painful.
Shane on the other hand has cuts all over his face, he has blood smeared over his face and his face is black and blue already, his ear looks like it was almost torn off and his nose is crooked, I suppose it is broken just by the looks of it. They both look like they went to hell and back.
Shane's eyes widen and David quickly steps infront of him. I frown until I realise that I'm uncovered from the waist up. I quickly pull the blanket with the hand that isn't holding Selina to cover myself but end up exposing my naked bottom half. I shriek and David rushes towards me, he takes a blanket out from a bag he is carrying and drapes it across my chest.
"What the hell happened?!" I ask raising my voice. Selina stirs under the blanket but I don't care at the moment.
"Ben happened." David replies coldly.
"Are you both okay?" I ask gentler.
Shane scoffs and limps over to the dining table. "Jeff. Please have a look at David. He hit his head pretty hard." So his name is Jeff, okay now I know atleast.
"Sure. Here." Jeff walks over to Shane "take him and I'll check David out then I'll check you out." He hands little Shane to him. Shane's eyes light up and immediately begins to coo at the baby in his arms.
David sits next to me and peeks his head under the blanket. "Hello little beauty. Drink nicely for me, okay? Then we can play a bit."
I smile and ruffle his hair but my hand gets stuck in the tangled mess of blood and dirt. My smile drops. "Go get yourself checked out. We need to get you and big Shane rested, then we can plan on what are doing next."
I let out a yawn. "Molly make yourself comfortable in my room. Take both babies and once David has been checked out and cleaned up, he will join you. Shane will take the couch and I'll make myself comfortable on the floor here." I'm about to protest but Jeff waves me down. "I know this is a bit awkward but please lay down the towels on the bed. I hope your bleeding slows during the night but for now I'm sorry but towels will be your best friends."
I drop my head in embarrassment. I detach Selina from me once she falls asleep. I somehow manage to pull the sweater back on and I also find the dress David told me he took from the house and I get it over my head without dropping Selina.
Once I'm covered, I slowly stand up with Selina snug in my arms. My legs feel weak and I quickly pick up the towels and wobble all the way to the bed. I put Selina in the middle of the bed and lay the towels down. I flop down and pull the blanket over me, before I pull my dress up and over my head, I throw it on the floor, I do this so that I don't bleed onto the dress.
As I'm ready to sleep Shane walks in. And I realise that I didn't take baby Shane from him before I got into bed. "Sorry Shane... I forgot..." I mumble out and he gives me a warm smile.
"No worries, you must be exhausted... but here is your little man, ready for bed." He puts my boy next to me and his twin sister. I turn on my side and snuggle them.
"Thank you Shane. For everything." I mutter as I drift off to dreamland.
Tomorrow holds the plans for our future, but something tells me our future also holds something that is not going to go well. I just don't know what.